High school boys golf: Justin Lenzini, Jacobs win FVC tournament title

PRAIRIE GROVE – Justin Lenzini let it all out on the final hole of the Fox Valley Conference Championship at Prairie Isle on Thursday, driving his tee shot past Jacobs boys golf coach Gary Conrad, who was sitting and waiting in a golf cart 300 yards away.

“Where did it go?” Conrad asked, looking the wrong way.

Lenzini’s dad pointed Conrad in the right direction: down the hill, where his son’s shot finally rolled to a stop 375 yards from where it started.

Lenzini’s second shot passed incredibly through a tree and bounced twice and up onto the green, and the Golden Eagles senior captain two-putted for a birdie and the individual title, firing a 1-over-par 73 to lead Jacobs to the FVC Tournament championship with a team score of 314.

“It was kind of ridiculous, I couldn’t believe I hit it that far,” Lenzini said of his shot on the par-5, 505-yard 18th. “I was really nervous on that wedge shot, and then I thinned it and it went right through the tree. It was such a good break ... I had such bad breaks, but that one made up for it."

Cary-Grove (316) finished two shots back of Jacobs, which also clinched the FVC Valley Division with the win.

Jacobs had five golfers finish in the top-25 and receive all-conference medals, including Billy Walker (77), who was fourth overall, Garrett Tighe (80), Riley Coakley (84) and Jack Tulley (85).

The Eagles had won every dual meet and tournament heading into last Saturday’s Grayslake Central Invitational, where they finished runner-up to Barrington. Still, the Eagles made history by becoming the first boys golf team in school history to go undefeated in the FVC, Conrad said.

“We've had a good team this whole season and it would be a bummer if we didn’t win conference,” said Lenzini, who finished runner-up as a sophomore and third as a junior.

Kyle Irlbacker was one shot back with a 2-over 74, sinking a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th to put the pressure on Lenzini for the individual title.

“I gave myself some opportunities, I just didn’t convert all my putts,” said Irlbacker, who initially thought Lenzini made par on 18. “He [Lenzini] bombed that drive on the last hole and it set him up with a really good birdie opportunity."

Cary-Grove’s Zach Beaugureau finished third overall wih a 76, Dundee-Crown sophomore J.P. Anderson (77) placed fifth and Huntley's Jake Grabner (77) was sixth.

Tiebreakers were determined by the lowest score on the back nine.

For the second straight year, Prairie Ridge claimed the FVC Fox with a team score of 328.

Ethan Farnam and Kevin Karney each had 80s to lead the Wolves, who finished ahead of Grayslake Central and Hampshire in the final division standings. Hampshire shot 333 to Grayslake Central’s 334, but the Rams finished ahead of the Whip-Purs with a better dual record.

Crystal Lake Central’s Zach Tuszynski played in the lead group with Lenzini, Irlbacker and Farnam and took eighth overall with a 79, Huntley’s Danny Spoeth (80) placed ninth and Hampshire's Nick Swierczynski (80) was tenth.

UNSUNG HERO

Billy Walker, Jacobs, senior

Walker placed fourth overall with a 77, finishing second on his team behind only medalist Justin Lenzini (73).

THE NUMBER 2:

Strokes separating FVC Valley champion Jacobs (314) and runner-up Cary-Grove (316)

AND ANOTHER THING…

Woodstock co-op coach J.C. Wise was presented with a gift (a golf caricature of himself) from Prairie Ridge coach Jonathan Powell – a former student of Wise – and the FVC coaches before the individual and team awards were announced. Wise is retiring after 22 seasons; he was inducted into the Illinois Coaches Association Golf Hall of Fame in May.

Fox Valley Conference Tournament

at Prairie Isle Golf Club in Prairie Grove, par 72

Team finishes: 1. Jacobs 314, 2. Cary-Grove 316, 3. Prairie Ridge 328, 4. Hampshire 333, 5. Grayslake Central 334, 6. Huntley 340, 7. Crystal Lake Central 345, 8. Dundee-Crown 350, 9. Crystal Lake South 351, 10. Grayslake North 355, 11. Woodstock 363

Top-25 individuals: Top-25 individuals: 1. Justin Lenzini (J) 73, 2. Kyle Irlbacker (CG) 74, 3. Zach Beaugureau (CG) 76, 4. Billy Walker (J) 77, 5. JP Anderson (DC) 776, 6. Jake Grabner (Hunt) 77, 7. Michael Murdy (GLC) 78, 8. Zach Tuszynski (CLC) 79, 9. Danny Spoeth (Hunt) 80, 10. Nick Swierczynski (Hamp) 80, 11. Garrett Tighe (J) 80, 12. Kevin Karney (PR) 80, 13. Ethan Farnam (PR) 80, 14. Cameron Karney (PR) 82, 15. Mitch Whitehouse, (CG) 82, 16. Myles Miller (Hamp) 83, 17. Michael Sisk (GLC) 83, 18. Keaton May (CG) 84, 19. Riley Coakley (J) 84, T20. Cooper Slack (J) 85, Clayton Staszewski (Hamp) 85, Alec Novak (GLC) 85, Casey Hunter (CLS) 85, Mark Spitzer (Hamp) 85, Jack Tulley (J) 85

Jacobs: Justin Lenzini 73, Billy Walker 77, Garrett Tighe 80, Riley Coakley 84

Cary-Grove: Kyle Irlbacker 74, Zach Beaugureau 76, Mitch Whitehouse 82, Keaton May 84

Prairie Ridge: Ethan Farnam 80, Kevin Karney 80, Cameron Karney 82, Stephen Nalepa 86, Dominic Leli 86

Hampshire: Nick Swierczynski 80, Myles Miller 83, Mark Spitzer 85, Clayton Staszewski 85

Huntley: Jake Grabner 77, Danny Spoeth 80, Geoff Miller 91, Michael Runsey 92

Crystal Lake Central: Zach Tuszynski 79, Maverick Edwards 87, Alex Martini 88, Sam Moscinski 91

Dundee-Crown: JP Anderson 77, Russell Bergeron 90, Josh Fougerousse 91, Brad Bartelt 92

Crystal Lake South: Casey Hunter 85, Zac Bishop 88, Nate Zacher 89, Griffin Coakley 89

Woodstock: Jared Zientz 87, Evan Bridges 87, Brandon Gulli 88, Steven Alcaraz 101